When Life Gives You Lemons
by HeroProject39
Summary: Airis Rhodes is a bright boy with a passion for dancing. While practicing for an upcoming dance contest with his friends, he suddenly wakes up in Wonderland. Will his optimism last long in this maddening world of blazing guns and quirky inhabitants? One thing’s for sure, he’s going to bring interesting scenarios to another level, whether he knows it or not. MALE!OCxVarious. HIATUS


**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs.**

**Genres: Romance, Friendship, Humor, Mystery**

**Notes: This is not a yaoi OC fic. Yaoi is BL with explicit sexual content while Shonen Ai is the pure version where it only involves mild intimate scenes. This will be VariousXOC but OC won't be a Gary Stu. **

**This fic is more of a side fic since I have others to work on, but sometimes coming back to this barely active fandom with an intriguing concept and quirky characters is fun to invest in.**

**This fic will first take place in the Country of Clovers before we head into the Country of Joker. Alice will be in this fic, as some of you readers may not like (I personally like Alice for her sharp tongue and feisty temper when she uses her fists to get her message across. I could see why some dislike her, but for me I don't _hate_ her.). But I would like to write particular interactions between a male OC and Alice, both who are Outsiders, while in Wonderland. It creates interesting scenarios.**

**This is not a "serious" serious fic, since I myself am not writing this out for the plot but more of character interaction. Please keep that in mind as you read.**

**Peter's dialogue tends to rhyme, but I suck at forming sentences with rhymes so I'll write his lines out like normal.**

**References. Potential 4th wall breaking.**

**Enjoy!**

**[When Life Gives You Lemons]**

I awoke to the feeling of something prickly under my skin and the scent of grass and clean fresh outdoor air, a contrast to the usual suffocating air of New York.

My eyes blinked blearily at the hazy green blades. I propped myself up, releasing a yawn and stretching my sleeping muscles akin to a household cat in the process. (It's kind of a bad habit. I don't know how I developed that, honestly.) The sky was the same color as my eyes, a peaceful blue under the midday sun. The weather was pleasantly peaceful and just right.

Did I fall asleep in the park or something? Why didn't my friends wake me up? Wait...

I patted my face and clothes around in a fluster before relaxing slightly. Looks like no ants or any insects crawled on me, what a relief.

I scan my surroundings. I had expected the view of glass-paned skyscraper buildings soaring to the skies and sputtering beetles to drive by without a care in the world. Instead, I found myself alone in the middle of a verdant green field. From afar, I was facing tall concrete walls that divided the land I was in from the outside world.

This is definitely not New York. There's not a single soul in sight!

I look down at the small item beside me and examined it in my hand. It was a light blue glass vial with a heart engraved in it and a matching cap. Red liquid sloshed inside.

What is this, some kind of drug? I wouldn't take drugs even if I was promised a thousand dollars.

I deemed it to be harmless for now. The vial is full, so I wouldn't have drank it. Plus, I was holding onto it when I woke up, so it wouldn't hurt to hold onto it. Other than the mysterious substance inside, the thing is safe to carry on my person. Thus, I pocketed it.

I stand up and dusted the bits of grass and dirt off my clothes; the same attire I wore prior to falling asleep. It was my dance clothes tailored specifically for the dance group I'm in to match the theme of the suits in poker cards. We're a five-man all boys team though, and as I'm considered the "leader," I branded all four colored suits scattered across my white and black dotted designer baggy T-shirt. This is actually my favorite shirt.

Now, I recall practicing the choreography my group and I were to show for an upcoming dance show, but...

Where the hell am I? Where are my friends at?

I produced my smartphone from my pocket and tried to call someone before I realized there was no service.

With a displeased frown, I look behind me to spot a huge mansion with peculiar top hat designs being its theme. The owner must _really _love their top hats. A hat fetish?

Nonetheless, the sight intimidated me. If I get caught by someone who works here, I'll get arrested on the spot for trespassing, even though I have no clue how I got here in the first place.

So the best choice I have right now is to get out of here.

As I walked a long ways to the border (this property is ridiculously vast from the gates to the mansion), I noted how well kept the place is, as expected of a mansion owner. There was also a grand fountain flowing with crystal clear water. Damn rich people and their fountains.

Upon arriving at the gates, I look around for the person stationed to this section and found no one. Isn't there supposed to be tight security for a fancy place? Where was the gatekeeper at?

I internally apologized for the intrusion before exiting the tall barred gates. When I closed the door, I was about to ponder which direction to follow until I accidentally tripped on a stone (what the hell).

I fell on my knees and palms before I would have kissed the ground. The sound of something swinging passed above my head and I look over to see the source.

Is that... an axe?

I quickly digested the fact that the sharp glistening blade pierced the ground where my head would have been split cleanly in half and paled several shades.

Did someone just _chucked an axe _at me?!

"Aww, I missed?"

"Cheeky Faceless servant! We were sure you were dead right there."

I swerved my gaze to the presences of two strikingly canny faces staring down at me. They were twin boys dressed in striped uniforms opposing in red and blue. The twin in blue had the same axe in his hand while the red twin was empty handed.

Did one of them say "Faceless servant"? I'm not Slenderman, nor do I recall being anyone's servant.

I shot up to my feet and pointed at the boy in red "You! You tried to kill me!"

I was more shocked by the fact that a little kid was guilty of the axe-chucking than the attempted murder. That doesn't excuse him from me being upset, though.

The red boy shrugged. "Duh, that's the point."

"We were bored and you just happened to be the perfect target to kill time." The blue boy said.

I was baffled. These kids are insane! They treat death like a trivial thing!

I didn't want to stay around with them any longer, lest I'll be chopped off like lumber.

Without a warning I sprinted like a madman for the forest. I hear the twins call out for me and chase my tail with axes in hand. What disturbed me was the gleeful joy they had while hunting me down, saying how we were playing tag like it was a game in the playground.

The "game" was short-lived however when the twins gave up searching for me in the sea of trees. What they didn't know was that I was lurking above their heads the entire time.

Once I was certain they were out of range, I heaved a sigh of relief. Trees are your best friend when you want to hide from plain sight. Good thing I like to climb trees as a little boy.

I warily protrude my head from the shade of the tree for any other presences that may or may not want to kill me like in an insane asylum. The Outlast series is straight up a nightmare, and that's an understatement.

I climb down the tree and look around. I hadn't paid attention to where I was heading since I was prioritizing my life than my destination, and now I'm utterly lost in the depths of the forest.

"Where do I go...?" I voiced aloud under the assumption no one would hear me. Much to my fright, I stood corrected.

"It doesn't matter which way you walk, so long as you get somewhere."

From above, a man perched atop a sturdy tree branch wearing black and pink punk outfit peered down at me with one visible eye. From behind his lax position, I could have sworn I spotted something long swing.

I gaped widely at the unfamiliar face. "You..."

The man watched curiously as my clear sky blue eyes morphed from overwhelming to excitement in an instant.

"You're just like the Cheshire Cat! I think you even quoted the same line from the book too! Wow, you're really into your cosplay character, huh? Like the look!" I complimented in the end with a thumbs up for approval.

From under the protection of the shade, the fuschia-pink haired individual blinked in mild confusion.

"I don't know what 'book' you're talking about, but I _am_ the Cheshire Cat." He replied before grinning a cat-like grin. "Cat ears and all." The pierced cat ears and tail twitched in emphasis.

They must be well made to look and move naturally because those are very convincing.

Upon hearing his "statement," I decided to roll with it. He also seems sane as he didn't try to kill me on the spot like those dangerous twins. He's just a chill neko cosplayer who might like to climb trees as much as I do.

"All right, Cheshire Cat, where am I? I woke up in someone's mansion garden and got chased by their bloodthirsty twins to here." I said.

A glint of familiarity struck his yellow eye. He leans his head more closer to examine me.

"You mean you're not one of the Hatter's servants?"

"What makes you say that?" I asked. Also, there's a Mad Hatter cosplayer here? Is this becoming Alice in Wonderland? Am I supposed to play as Alice? But I'm a dude. Wait, did I get kidnapped into this mess of insane cosplayers who are obsessed with the book? I like it as much as the next person, but not to the extent of role playing hardcore.

The Cheshire Cat points a look below my gaze. "You're wearing something the Hatter would like. Anyone would think you come from his place with that shirt."

I look down to my designer shirt. Do people at the mansion wear the four French suits on their clothes? This Hatter guy must really have a thing for this kind of aesthetic, which I admittably like as well. People tell me this kind of fashion suits me.

So if I took this off, what would've happened? Considering their innocent bloodthirst, I still would've been killed but as a random passerby. Am I better off wearing it just to be memorable as that one guy who wears a stylish shirt?

I revert my gaze to the pink cat. Is he planning on getting down? My neck is going to be sore from staring up.

"Well, I'm not from the mansion, I can tell you that. Can you answer my question from before, though? Where am I?" I repeated.

The Cheshire Cat runs his fingers absentmindedly through his fluffy pink striped boa reminiscent to the story book character's striped fur. "You're in a forest."

My brow twitched once. Just the slightest. "I can see that as clear as day." In case you can't tell, there was sarcasm.

He seemed amused before stating, "You're not from this world, are you? Your scent is unlike others, kind of like Alice's..."

I didn't hear the last part but I replied, "What do you mean?"

"You said you woke up in the Hatter's Mansion, right? You don't know how you got there?"

"No. Last thing I remember was me at a park practicing with my friends. I don't know if I was actually kidnapped." I said.

The neko cosplayer watched my face as he then said, "Well, you're definitely not in your world. This is Wonderland."

"Wonderland..." I echoed. "Then how do I get home?"

The Cheshire Cat finally leaps off the branch and lands in front of me safely on his two feet. I didn't see it since he was up high, but now I just can't help eyeing his bare torso he has no shame in hiding. Damn. He's also attractive looking. A must have for neko lovers. Doesn't help that I like cats in particular.

"Time doesn't matter here, so you got all the time in the world."

"But..."

"All this exposition's boring. You wanna come to the Amusement Park? They got a lot of exciting rides and games to play." The punk cat offered with an eager smile, pleased to have met a potential friend to bring to the Park.

"There's an amusement park here? Lead the way!" I said eagerly. I never had the time (or money) to go to one since several years ago. I kind of missed playing the games and hopping on their rides. Everyone will understand if I spare some time there. "Oh, I'm Airis Rhodes, by the way."

"I'm Boris Airay." He smiles cynically, a trademark of his I suppose.

As we tread on the path to the Park, we strike up topics to stray from the silence. It was mostly about the Park and what they offer, but I sometimes would interrogate about Wonderland itself.

From what I hear, there are distinguished individuals with "roles" based on Alice in Wonderland's iconic characters, though Boris didn't seem to know what I was talking about regarding the classic tale of Lewis Carroll. I was surprised he didn't know about it, but he was intrigued now that he heard.

Before I would continue, we had arrived to the Park. It's quite colorful with many geometric designs, but it was also fairytale-like with the castle buildings. As someone who dressed up in stylish -sometimes colorful- outfits for dance contests, I'm not cringing as much as the average person from the bombardment of colors thrown at me. And this is only the entrance!

Boris casted a glance at me. "Gaudy, isn't it?"

I shook my head. "No, it's appealing in its own right. More importantly, why does everyone have no eyes?!" I gestured to the wandering customers of all ages entering and exiting as they please. Some of the staff (dressed in funny uniforms of yellow and blue diamonds with music notes) were doing their duties, probably to keep the entrance safe.

I was disturbed, of course. I can see them with a nose and lips, but the hollowness of their eyes was sending me mixed messages. Slenderman is everywhere!

Boris merely spared a nonchalant look at them. "They're what we call the Faceless. They do have eyes, but you gotta look closely to tell. Basically they're not important to care about, so you can think of them as background characters."

That sounds meta.

I frown slightly. "Well that's not nice."

"You think?" Boris was genuinely curious of my words, as though it's normal for these civilians to be treated as trivial. Like how the twins from before thought of death.

Speaking of, those boys had eyes. Could they have been based on Tweedledee and Tweedledum? Very possible.

We entered the Park easily as though we owned the place, though that was more of Boris than I.

I marveled at the scenery. The appealing and colorful rides just screamed fun. Everyone here was enjoying and smiling like no tomorrow. It was rather heartwarming. I feel like I can be a kid without having to be judged here.

"Wanna hit the arcades? Any rides you wanna go?" Boris asked as I admired the amusement park.

"Actually, I'm hungry right now." I then gasped. "I don't have money on me!"

Boris waved dismissively. "Dude, you're an Outsider. Your money wouldn't even follow our currency in the first place. Plus, I'm sure you'll get your benefits from the owner."

"Really? I don't think I should..." I'd feel guilty to no end.

Boris pats my back reassuringly. "Don't sweat it! The old man will hand it to you in a heartbeat. You want hotdogs?" He then suggested, to which I accepted and simply resigned to the fact that I'm a rare case in Wonderland. Maybe it's more fair this way...?

We sat on a bench eating hotdogs and sipping on our soft drinks. The food and refreshments here are really delicious. I'll have to do a lot of exercises to make up for it though.

Boris stared bewildered at me as I ate. "You sure eat a lot. How many hotdogs did you have?"

I swallowed the last bite of the food before answering, "I'm a dancer. I need a lot of stamina if I want to perform for three hours. Also I don't remember the last time I ate so I'm just really hungry right now." I sipped my coke. I also have good metabolism, something I take advantage of in my dancing career.

The man's cat ears twitched once. His yellow cat-like eye glinted with interest. "You dance?"

I grin. "Yep. I'm in a dance group with my friends and we love dancing. It's our passion. Not to brag, but I'm a great dancer."

Boris grinned widely. "Then how 'bout you show me a dance?"

"Eh? Right now? Here? In public?"

"I want to see, I want to see. Or what? You scared?" He challenged.

"No, it's just, it's kind of awkward to do it out of nowhere." Yes, I get self-conscious, but that's how it is.

"Speaking of, does the arcade have dancing games?" I asked. Considering the modern technology of my world, there was barely any arcades around that it almost became obsolete. The last time I played a dance arcade game was back when I was in middle school when I had all the time in the world. And coins to spend.

"Yeah, the Park practically has everything."

"Awesome. Let's go!"

At the arcade, we did a lot of first person shooter games (which I actually suck at to the point Boris was going easy on me out of pity), shooting hoops with basketballs, all the classic type of arcade games.

When I did a dancing game, I easily achieved the perfect score of the scoreboard, wiping every other records off. Boris' speechless expression when he saw the perfect performance was priceless. The fact that nearby onlookers were watching me jaws gapping was amusing as well. No one could hope to place the same spot as me now.

After I've beaten every other song's best records, Boris and I moved to the other attractions.

As we searched for any interesting attractions, a child's wail rose into the atmosphere.

I look to the source to see a woman -presumably the mother- consoling a little girl bawling her eyes out. Her crying was attracting attention from the cheerful amusement park mood. The girl was demanding a stuffed cat toy from one of the shoot-the-prize booths. She seemed really desperate that it was putting the mother on the spot of ruining the child's wish.

Boris stopped walking when I wasn't following him and watched as I approached the parent and child.

I knelt before the girl and softly asked, "Do you want that toy?" I pointed to the booth where she was looking at, particularly the creamy white round cat sitting on a shelf.

The little girl sniffled with quivering lips and slowly nodded, too choked from crying to speak. I can't see her eyes as she's a Faceless, but I can imagine she must really want it.

I smiled in understanding. "I'll go get it for you."

The woman beside the girl inclines her head to me in surprise. "Oh no, please don't trouble yourself..."

"It's all right. I want to. Please wait here with your child." I left before the mother would decline politely again.

From beside me, Boris shot a dubious look between me and the pistol equipped in my hand. Of course, it's only a model with a pellet inside ready to shoot. "You know you suck at shooting, right?"

"I know, but I can't leave that girl sad after seeing how much she wanted it." I said calmly as I readied my aim. Once I was confident my line of aim was accurate, I pulled the trigger.

The cork shot the side of the shelf instead. Nowhere near the target.

"Terrible aim!" Boris exclaimed on impulse. As an experienced gunslinger, he must be frustrated seeing a complete rookie's mistake. I think any respectable rookie could do better than my silly shot.

I blinked and sheepishly laughed. "Oops." Where did the pellet go?

My sky blue eyes zeroed in on the pellet that flew past my head. Boris and I, as well as the person in charge of the booth, some nearby onlookers and the mother and daughter, watched as it zipped from place to place comically. It bounced off a stationary balloon, a sign, a food cart and then another sign before it made contact with the toy's head.

We watched with held breaths as the impact teetered the body until it finally toppled off the shelf.

I cheered for my lucky shot while everyone else stood in shock.

"The hell...?" Boris voices more to himself in wonder.

I return to the family with the creamy white cat in hand.

The little girl eagerly took the toy off my possession and beamed a wide sunny smile. "Thank you, mister!"

"Isn't that great?" The mother smiles softly at her daughter before casting the same smile to me but with sincere gratitude. "Thank you for getting my daughter the toy."

For a split second I thought I could see eyes soften. It was probably my imagination though.

"Don't mention it. In return, take good care of it, okay?" I said to the child.

The girl bobbed her head. "Mm!"

She waved me goodbye before walking with her mother hand in hand, the other clutching the small but adorable stuffed cat securely in her arm.

As I watch the pair leave pleased, Boris spoke from beside my ear, "You Outsiders are so nice..."

"I have a soft spot for kids. Oh yeah, didn't you mention there's another Outsider like me in Wonderland?"

"Yeah, she's the first one we've had in a long while. You're more recent, though it's rare to have two Outsiders at the same time." He remarked.

I was curious. What was it like living in Wonderland? Maybe we can get along as fellow Outsiders. More importantly, how do I get home? That must've been a question this girl had searched for before she decided to stay here.

She could be the clue to returning home.

"I'd like to meet her." I confessed. "It's likely she knows how to go home even if she did ended up staying here. Do you know where she lives?" I asked.

"Yeah, at the Clover Tower. I can take you there since I got nothing to do." Boris offered, arms crossed behind his head.

I smiled. "I'd appreciate that."

We head back to the entrance. When we approached close, Boris recognizes someone and calls out to a grown man standing with his back to us.

"Hey, old man! There's someone I want ya to meet!"

He was discussing with a few of the staff before facing our direction. He had a pair of aquamarine blue eyes behind his lens, so this man must also be a Role Holder like Boris.

He dismissed the staff and upon first sight of me, his visage morphed into visible anger. Wait, what? "An enemy from the Hatter's?!"

Now he was holding a rifle in hand. Wasn't he carrying a violin before?

Before everyone in immediate vicinity, including me, would freak out, Boris jumped in to half-shield me.

"No, old man! He's an Outsider! The Hatter's got nothing with him!"

The man lowered his weapon upon hearing the term "Outsider." He examines my nervous yet somewhat composed smiling face (of course I was freaking out internally but he doesn't need that spelled out), particularly the presence of my eyes, before the rifle virtually vanished. Replacing it in his hands was a violin and bow. How the hell did that work? Was that some magic trick?

"Sorry, I thought the Hatter's minions was gonna wreck part of my park's territory." The adult apologized. His mood had changed 180 just then.

Does he actually hate the Hatter that intensely? I wonder why.

Boris and I relaxed once the prospect of raining bullets was strayed away. I wasn't mentally prepared for a gun riot in another world (in America I was), especially when I barely survived an axe to the head out of pure luck.

My sky blue met aquamarine blue albeit awkwardly with an amiable smile. "It's all right. I'm Airis Rhodes. It's nice to meet you. You must be the owner of the park, am I right?" I had concluded from his clothes and visible eyes that he must likely be the owner. The uniforms reflect the boss, after all. And this guy's got a funny taste in clothes that matches the park's atmosphere. Not that I'm being mean or anything.

The auburn haired figure then beamed. "That's right, sonny! I'm Gowland. I see you and the cat became buddies now, huh?"

"Boris showed me around the park. I really like your amusement park. Better than any I've visited!" I praised. This park has more magic and wonder to it, which makes sense since we're in Wonderland after all.

Gowland grins. "I'm glad you like it! Here's a gift for Outsiders."

He held out a card that read **Platinum Pass**.

Having been told this from Boris beforehand, I automatically accepted it. I still feel like I'm abusing my status as an Outsider, which I actually am now that I say that. "Thank you very much..."

Gowland continued, "That'll let you skip long lines and also access to food and attractions all for free. Take this as an apology from me, too."

He ruffles my curly platinum blonde hair. It felt like an uncle's gesture, which somehow made my chest feel a little giddy. Just a little.

"So what brought you to Wonderland?" Gowland asked. He was serious when he said this, perhaps concern how I wound up here.

"Funny thing is, I don't know. I just woke up in the Hatter Mansion's yard. I remember being in a park practicing with my friends, but nothing between that." I replied. "Am I not supposed to be here? In Wonderland?"

"No, it's not that," Gowland quickly said as he saw me crestfallen slightly. "It's just that having another Outsider is intriguing. We never would've expect a new one to arrive so soon."

I slowly nodded. "I heard there's another one like me right now in Wonderland. I was gonna go ask, but I'll ask you instead: how do I get home?"

A weight wrapped around my shoulders.

"Aww, so soon? We barely scratched the surface of the park!" Boris had slung an arm on my shoulders and pouted. He leans close and peers into my eyes with his golden gaze. His tail flashed into view momentarily. "Why the rush?"

I soften my expression. "Sorry, I just want to know if there's a way for me to return to my world. Plus, my friends and family will get worried when I suddenly disappeared on them."

Prior to waking up in Wonderland, my team and I were practicing, but then again... the contest doesn't start for another four months.

Maybe I should actually spend a little more time here. A few hours wouldn't hurt. Plus, my friends know what they're doing even without me as their leader. They can keep practicing without me present.

A depressing thought crossed my mind.

There's also my sister... but I don't know when she'll wake up...

"You can always go to the Clover Tower and ask the lord for more details." Gowland said. "Don't hesitate to stop by the park! We'll always welcome you with open arms."

I smile. He's really friendly as an amusement park owner. "I will. Thanks, Gowland."

Boris and I bid the owner farewell and went on our merry way to the tower.

Gowland held his chin with free hand as he watched the pair leave.

"Did he drink the Medicine of Hearts? I forgot to ask, but I hope he didn't, for his sake if he wants to go home that badly."

...

We were crossing the forest once again where Boris and I first met literally an hour or two ago.

Now that I spent that much time, I'm starting to think this whole Wonderland thing may be in fact real and not some immersive role playing. I was under the impression Boris is a neko cosplayer, but after being chased by the genuine feeling of death and danger and seeing a gun switch to a violin before my eyes, I have doubts. I'm not dreaming, I'm sure of that. I had tried pinching my arm hard but the pain reminded me I'm conscious and kicking.

Assuming this is real, then...

My gaze slipped to a pair of ears and tail my companion wore.

I must feel them before I have the opportunity to leave Wonderland!

But that might backfire on me and scare Boris off from any chance he'll let me touch them. The ears are one thing, but isn't the tail a sensitive thing? I wouldn't know, but from what I've seen in anime, it is.

The notion is highly tempting. However! I am patient. Maybe if I kindly ask him, he'll let me at least touch his ears. I'd be content with that.

"Airis? You've been staring at me for a while, dude. Somethin' up?" Boris inquired innocently.

I returned to reality and found myself internally embarrassed I got caught staring weirdly. "N-Nothing. S-So what does the Clover Tower do?" I changed the topic to stray from the suspicion.

Boris looks up thoughtfully. "Well, since we're in the Country of Clovers, the tower is in charge of the events by holding assemblies. It's something mandatory us role holders gotta attend to. News flash, they're boring as hell."

I could only smile sheepishly as Boris made a displeased face. "That sucks. Do Outsiders have to attend as well?"

"Yeah, it's a rule you guys have to follow. We too have to abide by them."

"Who made the rules?" I tilt my head.

"Wonderland itself." He stated. There was a resigned sentiment underneath it. "We're bound to these roles even when we die. We'll just get replaced after all."

My lips press into a thin line. He said it so nonchalantly. And how does a world write the rules? Is there actually a single entity responsible for this? There's so much mystery to this Wonderland and its concepts.

Boris continued now with a smile, "But Outsiders are exceptions. You have a few privileges, yeah, but you also have what many of us lack. That's why Outsiders are bound to attract attention. And why their lives are more precious than any of us. That includes you, Airis."

I processed his words. Was he talking about our eyes that makes Outsiders special? They lack eyes? My intuition's telling me that's not the case.

"What are you talking about? Your life is just as important as mine and everyone else's, Outsider or not." I said.

Boris stops to stare at me with a wide eye. He then quirked a smile. "I knew it. You said the same kind of stuff like Alice does. She cares about lives, even for the Faceless. She doesn't like seeing people die left and right."

"Of course." I spoke confidently despite not knowing Alice who must be the other Outsider Boris was talking about. "Human lives are nothing to be taken lightly. I completely understand how she feels."

The Cheshire Cat was quiet briefly until he crossed his arms behind his head. "I have a feeling you two will be good friends."

I blinked. "You think? I hope so."

As we proceed to walk again in comfortable silence, we bump into the familiar twins in the forest. This time, they're not the only company we have.

"Ah! It's the servant who ran away from us!" The twins (who I had learned were Tweedle Dee (blue) and Teeedle Dum (red) from Boris as he's good friends with them) pointed at me upon spotting me.

"Please put your weapons away. I mean no harm and I don't look forward to dying at a young age." I say in attempt that my civilized confrontation will convey I do not pose as a threat to them. "Also, I'm not a servant."

A man who stood more than 2 meters tall spoke. He had long tan rabbit ears (no, they're too long to be a rabbit's so he must be a hare; the March Hare to be exact as he has eyes) protruding atop his wavy orange hair. He's a freaking _titan _wearing Halloween colors when the holiday is not around the corner. I'm genuinely intimidated more than the twins' axes of death and Gowland's rifle combined.

"Hah? How did you mistake one of our men for this kid?" He was clearly irritated at the twins.

Before I could correct the titan (I am not a kid, I'm a certified young adult), a suave voice spoke.

"Indeed, I do not recall hiring a young man into the mansion." A tall man (not as giant as the hare next to him, that's for sure) dressed in a white tailcoat and a black top hat with blood red roses and feathers (topped off with the classic 10/6 card on the hat) eyes me with now interested eyes. This is the Mad Hatter, no questions asked. I didn't like how he seemed to be planning a scheme in his ice blue eyes, though. They were screaming trouble.

The twins swerved to the two adults.

"But boss, he dressed like the Faceless, so we thought he was one of the servants!" The red twin Dum, I think, explained.

"Yeah, we saw him running away and decided to kill him for betraying us!" The blue twin Dee said.

"I didn't betray anyone! And this shirt is one of a kind specifically made for me, so it has nothing to do with you guys." I defended myself. I wasn't going to allow these kids slander my identity like they knew everything. "Also, you two tried to kill me on plain sight!"

"We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience our gatekeepers caused." The Hatter said, although his eyes were anything but apologetic. "I'm Blood Dupre, the owner of the mansion. Please attend to my tea party as my apology. We serve only the finest tea and confectionery."

Boris mutters to my ear, "Don't you wanna get to the Clover Tower?"

"That... can wait. We got time."

I'm rather interested in what kind of tea party he'll hold. Is it going to be nonsensical and mad like in the classic? I'm interested.

I could have sworn I saw the faintest trace of a smirk on the Hatter's lips when I said it.

"All right, I accept. Thank you for the invite. I'm Airis Rhodes. I'm what you guys call an Outsider." I spoke clearly for the Hatter Mansion gang to hear and introduced myself in the process.

"Wow, an Outsider?"

"Just like big sis!"

Big sis? Did they mean Alice?

Suddenly the twins stood on either side of me. They eagerly look up at me with childlike innocence. Their sparkles fail to hide the obvious blades of death behind them, however.

"I'm Tweedle Dee!"

"I'm Tweedle Dum!"

"And we're the Bloody Twins! Starting today you'll be our big bro!"

They swung their arms around my torso into a hug.

What the hell. My killers became my "little brothers" now. I should be mad. Right?

I internally sigh. Might as well stop thinking too much now. It's too soon to say this, but this madness is starting to affect me now.

"Uh, okay, but I can't walk if you two are hugging me like this." I said and kept my arms hovering awkwardly over their short statures.

"Oi you brats, hands off Blood's guest! We won't get anywhere like this!" The March Hare told the Tweedle twins sternly.

"That's the Chicken Rabbit. You can forget about him, big bro." Dee said almost flatly as he casted a glance to the Hare.

"Yeah big bro, just hang out with us! " Dum followed his twin's example.

"You maggots..."

The Hare glared daggers at the twins who stuck their tongues out at him while using me as a shield between his and their quarrel. He sets aside his anger and introduced himself coolly. "I'm Elliot March, Blood's right hand."

I nodded slowly. Don't think too much. It'll help a lot in Wonderland...

"Can I come too?" Boris perked up.

"Do as you please." Blood simply said before walking to the direction opposite of the Clover Tower. The rest of his men followed, and so did we.

Sometimes I was reminded of the weight of the vial every time I walked, the untouched contents swishing from my movements. I should ask them about it at the tea party, but is that really a safe choice?


End file.
